The present invention pertains to methods for bundling a plurality of conduits and more particularly to bundling a plurality of supply and control conduits which extend over a length that greatly exceeds their total cross sectional width.
Prior art teaches several methods for grouping or bundling a plurality of conduits which extend significant lengths for use in operations such as marine seismic exploration.
In marine seismic exploration, a plurality of seismic pulse sources are towed behind a marine vessel. Seismic pulse detectors which receive seismic pulses when the sources are energized and when the pulses are reflected or refracted by subsurface formations may either be towed behind the same marine vessel or be placed on the ocean bottom. Typically, the seismic pulse sources are air guns which receive an air supply and firing control signals from the marine vessel. Each air gun includes a transducer and a firing solenoid. Four control wires or conduits are required for operation, two for the transducer and two for the solenoid. A prior art method for bundling these conduits is illustrated in FIG. 1. Control wires 10 are grouped together to form a center core 12 around which air supply hoses 14 are placed. The entire bundle is then covered with a watertight sleeve 16 to protect control wires 10 and supply hoses 14 from salt water damage. However, if the sleeve is damaged by collision or other occurances, salt water will enter sleeve 16 and saturate the control wires 10. If the wires are in any way damaged, leakage can occur not only between wires of the same control pair but also between wires of different control pairs. Thus, the probability of wire damage disabling more than one seismic pulse source is increased.
In marine exploration, a plurality of pulse sources such as forty are connected together as one operator. These sources are typically towed behind a marine vessel along with several miles of acoustic pulse detectors. When the operator becomes ineffective such as with the loss of a significant percentage of the total pulse sources, marine exploration must be halted and the operator must be pulled on board for repairs. Usually the percentage lost must be equal to or greater than ten percent which in the example of a forty point operator is four. When the operator is pulled on board, the line of pulse detectors, which may be several miles long, drifts due to ocean currents and wave force. The changed location of the detectors requires that the marine vessel circle and reperform or reshoot the seismic exploration line. This results in great expense and loss of exploration time.